CONSHOHOCKEN — When the I-3 All-Stars defeated Team Philly Tuesday night to win the 52nd annual Albert C. Donofrio Classic, it was a special moment for the players involved.

The 91-85 final meant that I-3 had successfully worked its way through the bracket of showcase teams for a fourth straight year to be crowned champions once again.

Only two others times has one team been able to achieve such a feat.

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But as the lights were being turned out above the undersized basketball court at the Fellowship House of Conshohocken Tuesday, one of the last people to leave was Amile Jefferson.

The 6-foot-8 senior from Friends’ Central was taking in all he could, knowing he would not be coming back next year.

But as Jefferson left the Fel this last time, he took with him something no other player in the Donofrio ever has before.

Jefferson began his career with I-3 in 2009 and played four years with the team, making him the first player in the 52-year history of the Donofrio to go undefeated for a four-year tournament career. He was a perfect 19-0.

“To go through this tournament, we didn’t lose, that’s just amazing,” Jefferson said, not knowing this little bit of Donofrio history had been added to his resume until being announced as a tournament MVP.

“It’s so humbling. As much as I’m honored by it, the guys I’ve played with have been the big part of the success we’ve had. The coaches have been so good. We’ve had that all four years. I’ve been blessed to play with some great players in this tournament and they’ve helped me so much to achieve this. I’m honored by the guys I’ve played with.”

Thinking back on the names that have graced the hardwood at the Fel, Jefferson became the first to never lose in a four-year career, to never feel the hollowness of being eliminated from one of the premier high school tournaments in the country.

“It’s a legacy,” said Bill Wilson, who has coached I-3, and Jefferson, these past four championship years. “I like that word for him. What Amile was able to accomplish here, he sets a footprint that nobody before him has ever done. He set a new marker. He established a legacy here by doing that.

“Think about it. Think about all these people, so many great players who have come through here, and he is the only one to ever do that.”

Since first arriving in Conshohocken back as a lanky freshman, Jefferson has grown in leaps and bounds right in front of the crowds at the Fel. To the annual faithful who flock to Fifth and Harry each spring, they have been witness to such development. From a wide-eyed kid who just wanted to not let down his teammates back in 2009, he has now become one capable of carrying his teammates.

“Especially in this tournament, you can see how my game has changed,” said Jefferson, who scored 24 points in his Donofrio curtain-call Tuesday. “My role as a player has changed so much each year. In this type of tournament, with so much talent, at times you have to sacrifice. We’ve all done that.

“My freshman year, I was just hoping to come in and help a little. Playing with guys like Rakeem Brookins (of Roman Catholic and Norristown’s) Khalif Wyatt, that has been great for me.”

This school year at Friends’ Central, he averaged 19.9 points and validated his position as one of the most sought-after college recruits out there. Among the remaining suitors are national-champion Kentucky, Duke, Ohio State, North Carolina State and local longshot Villanova.

“It’s been tough,” Jefferson said of making that college selection. “We’re trying to set a date now. Hopefully by next week, I can finally make a decision.

“I need that comfort level, when I just know.”

One thing Jefferson already knows – well, since Tuesday night’s game, that is – he will go down as Donofrio folklore. Twenty years from now, some of the younger fans who attended games this year will regale new Fel acquaintances with tales of the kid who went undefeated for four years ... the one with the quick moves who never lost a game.

“I definitely know I can keep getting better and give these people more to talk about,” Jefferson said. “I’ve had a great high school career, and (Tuesday night) is bittersweet because this is probably my last high school game. It’s time for me to get ready for college.

“But the thought that 20 years from now, there’s a possibility that someone here would even remember what I’ve done, that is so amazing.

“This tournament’s not going anywhere. It’s so prestigious, the history behind it is unbelievable. The people who have come through here. To say I won a tournament that Kobe Bryant once won, that Gene Banks once won, that’s unbelievable to someone like me. I’m just happy to be a part of it.”

For years to come, Jefferson’s name will be among that list of the true talents who performed on Conshohocken’s most recognized sports stage. And he will have something on all of the rest.